England vs. Poland World Cup Qualifier Postponed; When Will it be Replayed?

England coach Roy Hodgson experiences the full force of the waterlogged pitch in Warsaw.

Photo: Reuters

England’s World Cup qualifying clash with Poland was postponed on Tuesday night due to a waterlogged pitch at Warsaw’s National Stadium.

Heavy rain showers engulfed the pitch from the afternoon onward in Poland’s capital, yet the stadium’s retractable roof was not called into action to the frustration of all those in attendance. The match has now been rescheduled for 5.p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) tomorrow.

The postponement is likely to have been particularly irritating to the travelling England team and their fans. Under FIFA rules, both sides have to make all efforts to replay the game within 24 hours of the original kick-off time.

With massive puddles clearly visible on the pitch, the match referee elected to hold another inspection at the original kick-off time. When that proved unsuccessful the same process of rolling the ball through the amassed water occurred 45 minutes later before the match was officially called off.

England boss Roy Hodgson had made several changes to the lineup that beat San Marino 5-0 at Wembley last Friday. Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson will both have to wait a little longer to win their 99th caps, while Joleon Lescott, James Milner and Jermain Defoe were also set to come back into the side.